Abbas Jalilian, the Kurdish author and researcher is sentenced to 15 months in prison

Tue, 19/05/2009 - 10:39 — Anonymous

Kurdistan Human Rights Observers, 12/04/2009

HROK: Yesterday morning Abbas Jlilian attended the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah and this Kurdish author and researcher was informed of the sentence of 15 months imprisonment issued by the court.

The judgment was rendered by the Third Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Kermanshah on charge of identifying and recruiting spies for a foreign country according to the supplementary clause of the 510 Section of the Islamic penal code. The court’s decision can be appealed within 20 days of receiving the sentence.

Abbas Jalilian has vehemently denied the accusation throughout the interrogation as well as the trial period and has requested evidence of this prompted-up charge against him to be disclosed. However, the court issued its judgment without giving due consideration to this request of the accused and rejecting his other request for the trial to be adjourned until he has access to a defence lawyer.

Abbas Jalilian whose penname is ‘Ako’ is a well-known Kurdish literary figure and has published books including; Farhange Bashor (South Dictionary), Rangama (novel), Zerinah and Siminah collections. He was arrested on the 26th of Dey 1387 (Jan 2009) in his house in Islamabad in Kermanshah province by the Intelligence Service agents. After his arrest he spent two months in the Intelligence Ministry and Dizl Abad prison in Kermanshah in quarantine.

He was eventually freed on bail and surety of 100 million tomans. Shortly after his release, he was tried on the 17th of Farwardin (5th of April 2009) without having a lawyer in the Third Branch of Kermanshah Revolutionary Court.